Canon 40D settings advice needed

[d70mpv]

Hi,

This is a strange one but I'm sure it'll make more sense to the more seasoned Canon users out there.

I went to a wedding on Saturday and was happily snapping away (using M mode as ever) and chatting to other SLR users when one pointed out that my Av, Tv and P modes were all defaulting to -2 stops underexposed. Nothing I could do could change that, and the exposure compensation was definitely set to 0, I checked it several times.

Every picture in those modes was coming out dark and indicating -2 on the 'info'. I've returned the camera to normal behaviour by clearing all of the settings changes I made i.e. 'return to factory settings'. But I couldn't for the life of me find out where exactly the problem lay. I'd be really grateful if someone'd point me in the right direction so that I don't do it again - or at least do it when I mean to!

Thanks.

[wildmanofthewoods]

I have the same camera & i think i had the same problem, i think it was something to do with the custom function settings which i removed and the problem was solved...Hope this helps. Al.

[big bill]

Reading the instruction book on 400D thats on sale in newsagents it states that if you use exposure compensation you must remember to ensure that you change it back to 0 before you take next shot or you will take the next and all subsequent shots with that exposure setting you had set.
this maybe where you problem stems from

[GerryNick2]

Don't think it has anything to do with custom functions. The only thing I can think of is that Auto Exposure Bracketing in the shooting menu was set to -2 compensation.

Gerry

[Geoff F]

Have you checked that the small on/off switch in the middle of the camera rear is On. It is called the Quick Switch but is sometimes known as the Hockey Stick switch due to the shape of the knob. If this is off I think all settings revert to the previous Exposure Compensation setting; apart from Manual mode.

It works like this with my 10D.

As prices continue to fall I think I may be joining the 40D club soon,

[DaiTheDragon]

Were you using flash?

Dai

[zan]

There is a setting in the Custom Settings that will set a 'safety exposure' to any shot taken in Av or Tv mode. I don't have the manual with me just now, but I was reading it last night. Basically, setting it to 'on' will give the camera control to adjust the exposure if it thinks you've over- or under-exposed your image (which could be the case if you're taking photos of a wedding dress for example). Maybe this is the problem?

[d70mpv]

Thanks for all of the replies guys, they're excellent suggestions. I'm currently at work but will purposefully make those alterations when I get home to see if I can "recapitulate" the problem.

I wasn't using flash and wasn't pointing it at anything particularly white at the time. I do usually make sure that the 'hockey stick' on button is switched all the way on as to activate the rear controller wheel too so I'm not sure that this was a problem either.

The only thing I can think that it was was that I noticed that the exposure bracketing, as has been mentioned, was set to -2 as the starting position. Changing the degree of bracketing only altered the spacing of the brackets (1/3 of a stop, 1/2 a stop, 1 stop etc) around the central -2 starting point. I couldn't actually alter the -2 starting point itself. Surely the factory default setting must be to start the bracket at 0, not -2, so somewhere, somehow I must've changed this but if I did I certainly can't remember it!

Nevertheless there's something to be said for just fiddling and learning so that's what I'll do. Thank God for 'return to factory defaults' - not the first time this option has got me out of trouble!

[Hobjob]

If you were using manual mode I don't see how the camera could say you were underexposing as you are in control of everything.

I don't think this can be bracketing control, 'cos that would lead to correct, under,over-exposure in succession even if different subjects.
(Wiht bracketing swet to fast or high speed, then it will take the three shots and sop)

I seem to remember having a similar problem that was also corrected by a "reset to fatory aetting"

[d70mpv]

....no as I said this issue only happened when I used the Av, Tv or P modes. M mode was fine.

Having had a darn good hunt around all of the menus last night and Googled the problem I would appear to be the only person that I know that's encountered this. Ho hum.

As I said, thank goodness for the 'undo' function - perhaps the most useful command in any piece of hardware or software!